Following the heavy rainfall last week, vegetable prices in the city have increased again, owing to a shortage of supply in the wholesale market. Traders claimed that vegetables are rotting in fields because of heavy showers, thus affecting supply.
Also affecting supply in the
wholesale market in the state is the increase in demand from other states such as Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

“Heavy rainfall has affected the produce across India. If farmers get better prices in other states, they divert their supply to those states instead of selling it within Maharashtra. This is resulting in a shortage of supply in wholesale markets in the state,” said a trader from the APMC market.

The increase in prices at the wholesale market has in turn caused an increase in rates of vegetables at the government’s fair-price centres which opened last week. Prices of vegetables, particularly those that are in demand, have gone up by Rs4 per kg in the wholesale market.

Onions, which were sold for Rs25 per kg last week, are being sold at Rs29.

Similarly, cauliflower has increased by Rs8 from Rs30 to Rs38, and cucumber is up Rs6 from Rs16 to Rs22.“We are selling vegetables at wholesale prices. But we can’t do much if prices have gone up in wholesale market,” said an official from the agriculture and market department.